Leaky Insignia

[Hogweed]

Just in case anybody is reading this who's had the same problem... my 15 reg Insignia hatchback has started leaking into the boot. Having owned a Rover 75 previously, I am well acquainted with wet boots!

It seems to be coming in somewhere up high just behind the rear passenger door, running down into the front left hand corner of the boot, then on down into the rear LH footwell, and on under the front passenger seat, where it's saturated.

It's definitely not coming from the rear light cluster, or the little ventilator panel in the wheel arch.

I dried everything thoroughly, took the boot floor out etc, then left it out in the rain overnight, with a pile of J-Cloths where I believed the water to be landing. I'll try a pic...



So the cloths were saturated by morning. I removed the boot side trim, everything, lifted the boot lid and poured water from a hose into the top of the valley at the top corner of the boot, above where the water seems to be coming in. Nothing came through...

I've tried absolutely everything I can think of, and had a lot of help from a couple of guys on an Insignia forum, but nothing seems to work.

Has anybody got an Insignia which has had this problem? Or even a similar car if not!

Thanks

[TooLateForAName]

you got a sunroof?

[Hogweed]

Sorry, should have mentioned - nope. I know what sunroofs can do

[tim jb]

When it comes to cars there's nothing worse than a car that leaks. When you think you've fixed it you probably haven't, and if you have you'll find another one. I'd rather deal with an effed engine to be honest. Good luck

[aero250]

It is coming from the plastic panels up near the tailgate hinges. A regular problem

[Hogweed]

aero250 said:

It is coming from the plastic panels up near the tailgate hinges. A regular problem

I agree it's coming from that area - not sure what you mean by plastic panels though?

Do you mean this thing?



It was my first thought, but it seems very well sealed. I blasted it with the hose for a couple of minutes anyway, but not a drop came through

Do you happen to know if this panel comes off? I have a tendency to break things, so don't want to just wrench at it...



Thanks

[Torquey]

I've had an insignia with a wet passenger side front and rear carpet. It turned out to be a blocked drainage hole underneath the bulkhead/front wiper motor and rain was getting in through the pollen filter area, when parked facing uphill!
Good luck finding your leak.

[NRG1976]

Using talcum powder can sometimes help identify the point of entry.

[KungFuPanda]

NRG1976 said:

Using talcum powder can sometimes help identify the point of entry.

It also rules out foul play if you think you’re got a ghost as well.

[carinaman]

Hogweed said:

I agree it's coming from that area - not sure what you mean by plastic panels though?

Do you mean this thing?



It was my first thought, but it seems very well sealed. I blasted it with the hose for a couple of minutes anyway, but not a drop came through

Do you happen to know if this panel comes off? I have a tendency to break things, so don't want to just wrench at it...



Thanks

Possibly no help but I replaced a headlining a while ago and removed all of the pillar trims. That lozenge shaped cap flipped off with a trim tool and there was a cross head screw securing a trim part to a bracket.

[TooLateForAName]

has it got an aerial? leaking through that at the rear of the roof and coming down the rear side pillars?

[Hogweed]

TooLateForAName said:

has it got an aerial? leaking through that at the rear of the roof and coming down the rear side pillars?

It has the little shark's fin GPS thingy, and also a rear screen washer - but as far as I can tell, the seals on both are in excellent condition...

[LuS1fer]

My Insignia B originally had a swimming pool in the boot which lurched forward in braking. Vauxhall had it and I was told it was somewhere behind the rear bumper. They cured it.

My mother's 2012 Focus has vents for expelling air when the doors close, behind the rear bumper. These have to be taken out and sealed all round the edges or water runs behind the bumper and fills up side compartments and the car becomes completely sodden, front to rear. I also put tap washers on the rear light securing screws and the once sodden car is now dry.

[Hogweed]

LuS1fer said:

My Insignia B originally had a swimming pool in the boot which lurched forward in braking. Vauxhall had it and I was told it was somewhere behind the rear bumper. They cured it.

My mother's 2012 Focus has vents for expelling air when the doors close, behind the rear bumper. These have to be taken out and sealed all round the edges or water runs behind the bumper and fills up side compartments and the car becomes completely sodden, front to rear. I also put tap washers on the rear light securing screws and the once sodden car is now dry.

Yes, all true! As it was on my previous car, a Rover 75, where I had to seal the lights and vent. But these areas aren't leaking on the Cavalier - sorry, Insignia. It's defiitely coming down from above, so if I could just get that trim off...

[Hogweed]

SO... bit of a revelation today. After being utterly convinced it was coming through somewhere top left, it turns out it's actually coming through the rear of the back n/s wheel arch. Discovered it was only coming in when the car was driving over wet roads, and not when parked, no matter how heavy the rain.

Then I parked the car facing uphil instead of down, and I could see the water almost pouring out of an opening into the wheel arch. God knows where it's coming from, but at least I'm getting close now...



Note the pool of water - coming through the orifice shown with the blue arrow. No idea where it goes...

[LuS1fer]

There's a YouTube video showing where the water comes in through a side vent.

On my Insignia B, leakage also depended if you parked it facing uphill or downhill.

[Hogweed]

LuS1fer said:

There's a YouTube video showing where the water comes in through a side vent.

Yes I'm well familiar with side vent leakage from my Rover 75 days... but the vent is dry. It's coming through that gap fro the wheel arch somewhere...

[anyoldcardave]

Not sure about hatchbacks, but estates leak through two plastic covers at the top, back end of the roof, into the side pockets and electrics, causing all sorts of issues, and filling the boot area.
If they are there on a hatchback, then high up water leaks are likely to be through there.
Aiming a jet wash at them will not help indicate it, cleaning and making sure it is draining does, it is sitting water in heavy rain that gets through them .

[Hogweed]

anyoldcardave said:

Not sure about hatchbacks, but estates leak through two plastic covers at the top, back end of the roof, into the side pockets and electrics, causing all sorts of issues, and filling the boot area.
If they are there on a hatchback, then high up water leaks are likely to be through there.
Aiming a jet wash at them will not help indicate it, cleaning and making sure it is draining does, it is sitting water in heavy rain that gets through them .

Thanks - yes, my understanding is that they used to do this, but the sealing was improved on the facelift some time around 2013, so hopefully it doesn't happen now.

Anyway... following a stroke of divine inspiration yesterday, I am (very cautiously) optimistic I've found it. There's a big fusebox mounted inside the left wing, and if you take it off you can see through a hole in the panel, to ANOTHER panel (wing seems triple-skinned in which there is a 1" hole, poorly sealed, with... water running through it pretty freely when I apply the hose.



So I sealed it with silicone yesterday, and all seems dry... so far...

[Wacky Racer]

Well done. Hope it's OK now. Water ingress on any vehicle can be a nightmare,